Learning to Live Again
by Lina-Li1
Summary: Two years after the battle at Hogwarts, George is finding it difficult to deal with the aftermath until a young prodigy is recruited to help.  DH spoilers
1. Intervention

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the Harry Potter characters. However, there will be several original characters appearing in this fic who do belong to me.

A/N: I wanted to write about how George got back to living a normal life after Deathly Hallows. I'm also happy that I'm able to post this today, on the one month anniversary of the Deathly Hallows release. It's my first Harry Potter fic but the idea came to me and I couldn't let it go. Most chapters should be a bit longer than this one. This is kinda like the prologue.

**Learning to Let Go**

**Ch. 1 - Intervention**

In the small flat in Diagon Alley that he once shared with his brother, George Weasley sat, staring out the window. The streets below were bustling. The defeat of the Dark Lord almost two years ago had not only revived the economy of wizarding business communities such as Diagon Alley, it had made it stronger than anyone could remember it ever being. One would think, then, that, being a business owner himself, this news would thrill George. The truth of the matter, however, was that George had not felt happiness, excitement, or any other strong emotion in nearly two years. He had lived a hollow, empty existence since the night of the battle at Hogwarts; the night his twin brother had died. He knew that he was not the only one who mourned for Fred but none of the others could truly understand his loss. In losing a twin, it was almost as if he had lost half of himself.

With a sigh, George pushed himself off the window seat and glanced about the room in search of his magenta work robes. He wasn't really in the mood to go to work but he knew that if he didn't make an appearance at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Ron would either come up to the flat himself or send someone else up, who would proceed to hover over George until he agreed to join the world for the day. With a shudder at that thought, George shrugged into his robes and trudged downstairs to the shop.

"Good morning, Mr. Weasley!" Verity greeted him cheerfully as he entered.

George grunted in reply and made his way over to the counter, where he slumped down onto a stool. He was no longer highly interactive with his customers. Ron and Verity did a fair job of running the shop themselves, but everyone thought it would be good for George to continue working. This thought caused George to grumble a bit. Everyone seemed to think they knew what was best for him. Really, he wished they would just bloody well leave him alone.

Of course, Ron picked that moment to wander over, "George, Mum wanted me to remind you that you've got an appointment at St. Mungo's later today. She's decided to go with you. She'll be here around two o'clock to pick you up."

George gave a small groan and rolled his eyes. It had only been a week since his mother had confronted him about his inability to move on after Fred's death. She had taken up the idea that he neede professional help and run with it. That included setting up this appointment at St. Mungo's. It was the last thing in the world George wanted; more people prying into his feelings and trying to force him back into a life that no longer existed. He slouched even lower on the stool, hoping to remain as inconspicuous as possible until two o'clock.

When the appointed time arrived, there was a distinct popping sound that came from the flat upstairs. Moments later, Mrs. Weasley appeared in the doorway to the stairs. George breifly wondered if he stood any chance of escaping. Mrs. Weasley must have seen his thoughts on his face for she commanded in an overly-loud voice, "Hold it right there, George Weasley! You're coming with me even if I have to force you into a side-along apparition."

"Fine, I'll come along if it'll get you off my back," replied George, sighing for what must have been the ten thousandth time that day.

"Good. Then we'll be apparating to the entrance of St. Mungo's."

George nodded his understanding before spinning around and disappearing.

Ten minutes later the two Weasleys wre sitting in the office of Jeremiah Delphi, a healer from the Spell Damage department, which didn't make any sense to George. He wasn't here as a result of spell damage. Even if he were, the spell damage he had sustained was incurable. He'd been told as much several times. Therefore, he saw no reason at all that he should be sitting here. Before he could voice his opinion, however, Delphi spoke, "Molly, George. I've got some good news and some bad news for you. The bad news is that, unfortunately, St. Mungo's does not currently have any healers trained to deal with cases such as George's. Counselors have never been overly common in the wizarding world."

"What's the good news, then?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"There is at least one hospital that I know of that has had some success in the area of mental and emotional issues lately," Delphi explained, "Have you heard of the Everett Holkeboer Memorial Wizarding Hospital?"

Mrs. Weasley nodded, hesitantly, "Isn't that where the Longbottoms have been transferred to?"

"That would be correct. It's quite an amazing facility and a few of the healers there are honest to goodness prodigies in the wizarding world."

"Isn't Holkeboer in America?" questioned George, "I didn't even want to come here. I absolutely refuse to be shipped off to America to let people mess around in my head."

"I'm fairly certain you wouldn't have to go," Delphi informed him, "From what I understand, they prefer to work in the patient's usual environment whenever possible. They would more than likely try to send someone here rather than have you go there."

Mrs. Weasley sent George a pleading look. He huffed in response but finally grudgingly agreed to allow Delphi to contact the healers at the American hospital, "Fine, I'll try it, but you have to agree that even if you don't see the results you want, you won't make me try anything else after this."

Not sure she was ready to agree, Mrs. Weasley glanced at Delphi, who nodded, "It's a fair deal. If they can't help him, nothing but time will be able to."

So, reluctantly as it was, Mrs. Weasley agreed to her son's bargain.

"Excellent!" Delphi exclaimed, scooting his chair back and rising to his feet, "I will send an owl right away. It was a pleasure to meet both you both and I sincerely hope that some good will coming from this meeting today."

George muttered something unintelligible and left the room as quickly as possible. Mrs. Weasley lingered a moment longer and thanked Delphi before following her son. As soon as his office was empty, Delphi returned to his seat and pulled out a sheet of parchment. When his letter was composed, he tied the scroll of parchment to the tawny owl in the corner of his office and sent it on it's way.

When the owl reached the Everett Holkeboer Memorial Wizarding Hospital, it headed to straight toward the office of Iris Montgomery, the hospital head. She quickly scanned the letter. For whatever reason, she became particularly interested in this case. When she finished reading, a small smile graced her lips. Of course she would be sending one of her staff members to help. Even better, she knew exactly which healer would be going.


	2. Scarlet

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the Harry Potter characters. All original characters are mine.

A/N: This chapter starts out with unfamiliar characters but will get back to the characters we know in the middle. Also, the last names for all of the original characters came from places so if anyone wants to take some guesses on those, feel free. I had four different ideas for introducing the new character. I ended up blending two of them together to get this chapter.

**Learning to Live Again**

**Ch. 2 - Scarlet**

"Weedle," Iris Montgomery called out into the room that, apart from herself, appeared to be unoccupied. A moment later a cracking sound was heard and a small, knobbly house elf appeared, bowing its head toward Iris, who wasted no time in issuing her command, "Weedle, I want you to go find Miss Jenkins and tell her that she's to report to my office at once."

With another crack, Weedle the house elf disappeared. Iris leaned back in her chair, resting her head against the back, and thought about the young woman she had just summoned. Scarlet Jenkins was not your ordinary girl. She wasn't even your ordinary witch. She was peculiar in looks, personality, skills and acheivements; considered a genuine prodigy by most. She was also, Iris believed, the best suited witch or wizard at Holkeboer to take this new assignment, despite the fact that she was one of the younger staff members.

Iris' thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. She looked up to see Scarlet standing in the doorway, "Ah, Miss Jenkins! Come in. Have a seat."

Scarlet sat down across from Iris and quirked an eyebrow, "You sent for me?"

"Yes, there's a case that I would like you to handle. It would mean heading overseas," as her companions eyebrow raised again, Iris continued, "I know, I know. It's usually your other job that is more likely to send you out of the country, but I think this case will interest you."

Scarlet took the parchment that was handed to her and began to read. By the time she finished, she had both eyebrows raised. When she set the parchment down, she met Iris' gaze and muttered, "Fascinating."

Unsure whether Scarlet was being sincere or not, Iris chose to nod in agreement, "Yes, I thought that would catch your interest, especailly given your history." Scarlet responded by bobbing her head and Iris continued, "From what I understand, it might also be an opportunity to meet THE Harry Potter."

"I gathered that much from the letter," sighed Scarlet, "but I wouldn't let that make my decision for me, you know that."

"And what is your decision, may I ask?" Iris inquired.

"Oh, I think you know that as well or you wouldn't have bothered telling me about this. Of course I'm going. I couldn't just leave a fellow member of the wizarding community in need now, could I?"

"Great! You'll be flying out first thing tomorrow morning. You read your directions on how to get there, right?"

"Knight bus to the Leaky Cauldron. I'll have a room reserved. Ask for Tom, he'll help me from there," Scarlet responded.

"Perfect. You're free to go get ready now. We'll see you whenever you get back."

It was three days after his appointment at St. Mungo's and George was back in his shop. Today he had actually answered two questions from customers, but his heart still wasn't in his work. Therefore, the was currently sitting on his stool behind the counter, staring at the ceiling. He had been trying to tune out all of the noise in the shop when suddenly Ron's voice came through loud and clear, "Hey Verity, that looks like a new customer. I've never seen her before. She's got a different sort of look to her, doesn't she?"

"I'm not sure that was an entirely polite thing to say, Mr. Weasley," remarked Verity.

Ron groaned, "Come on, Verity. You know I didn't mean it like that. She IS different looking but she's far from ugly. She's quite pretty, really."

"Mr. Weasley! Need I remind you that you are engaged?" Verity jokingly reproved.

"That doesn't mean I can't call a pretty girl pretty."

At this point, George decided to make the effort to see who they were talking about. The young woman in question was not hard to spot. Ron had been right, she had a 'different' look to her. To start, she was tiny. George guessed she was probably around five feet tall and he was willing to bet half his money that she didn't weigh over ninety pounds. She had and ivory skin tone and near-platinum hair that fell in riotous curls to her shoulders and was pulled back from her face on each side with a clip. George couldn't clearly see her eyes from this distance but they were obviously just as pale as the rest of her. Another unusual aspect, at least for a being in Diagon Alley outside of school supply shopping time, she was dressed in an entirely muggle outfit; a pair of dusty-blue jeans, a pale gray jumper and gray and black trainers. Tilting his head slightly to the side, George watched as the newcomer walked over to Ron and said something to him. Ron, in turn, shook his head and pointed right to the spot where George was sitting. George's eyes widened in surprise as watched the girl nod and begin to approach him.

"Are you George Weasley?" she asked when she stood directly across the counter from him. She spoke in a distinctly American accent, making her that much more unusual in George's eyes.

"I am," he responded, "Who are you?"

The young woman stuck out her hand for him to shake and introduced herself in a voice full of confidence, "Scarlet Jenkins. I'm a mediwitch at the Everett Holkeboer Memorial Wizarding Hospital. I believe you were expecting me?"

Rather than answering her query, George posed a couple of his own, "YOU'RE the healer they sent? You look like a student, how old are you?"

"I'm twenty one," she replied indignantly, "I'm about a month younger than you and definitely old enough to be a fully trained mediwitch. I'm a trained Auror, too, for that matter."

George wasn't actually paying attention to Scarlet's rant, however, for he had just gotten a really good look at her eyes and couldn't stop himself from blurting out, "You have really bizzare eyes."

Scarlet's expression changed to one disbelief and her voice, when she spoke a moment later, was dripping with sarcasm, "Gee, thanks."

"I-I didn't mean that the way it sounded," George was surprised to find himself stumbling over his words, "but you have to admit, your eyes are not the most normal color. I can't even really tell what color they are, they're so pale. They kind of remind me of frosted glass."

He was saved from having to further explain himself when Scarlet unexpectedly broke out in surprised laughter, "Frosted glass, huh? I've never had anyone else use that description before but I have to say, I kinda like it."

George stared uncertainly at the girl across from him. He hadn't expected her to be so willing to laugh. In his experience, healers tended to be stodgy old crones or geezers, who had no sense of humor whatsoever. This girl, Scarlet, however, seemed to be defying all expectations. While he still wasn't exactly eager to have a healer practically forced upon him, it was starting to seem like a little less of a hassle. At least they had sent someone who mildly sparked his interest. It was rare for anyone or anything to do so these days. He managed a brief snort of amusement before asking, "So, what's your plan of action? How are you going to help me?"

"Well, first, you and I are going over to the Leaky Cauldron to get my things. I'm gonna be staying with you for awhile. Don't worry, I can help out here in the shop. Oh, and while we're at the Leaky Cauldron, I figure we might as well get a drink and, if you're upt to it, we might try to learn a little bit about each other. Then, I'll make it up as I go along."

Before George had a chance to protest, he found himself standing in front of the bar at the Leaky Cauldron. He turned to Scarlet and asked, "What do you want? Butterbeer?"

"Butterbeer?" Scarlet scoffed, "No thanks. I won't be having anything less than firewhiskey. You can go ahead and have butterbeer if you want."

"As if I'm about to let a girl half my size outdrink me," retorted George, turning to order.

When they received their drinks, they sat down at one of the smaller tables. Scarlet took a swig of firewhiskey before looking George full in the eye, "So, I understand you were a Beater at Hogwarts, correct?"

"Yeah, are you a Quidditch fan, then?" George asked.

Once again Scarlet surprised him by laughing, "Not just a fan, silly boy. I was a Seeker in school. I was actually asked to try out for the American National Team but I decided to respectfully decline."

George nearly choked on his drink. So far it seemed that nearly every time Scarlet spoke she revealed some new surprise to furhter deviate from his expectations. Whether or not her treatment would help him or not, he had no idea. But, at the very least, he was beginning to think it would be a great distraction.


	3. The kidnapper

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the Harry Potter characters do not belong to me. I do own my original characters and the idea for this piece of fanfiction.

A/N: So sorry for not updating sooner. Last week was insane. School started around here, which would have already made me busier but on top of that, things went crazy at work so I ended up with extra hours this month instead of cutting back as I had intended. Also, between the end of the last chapter and the beginning of this one, I realize there are some parts that sound a bit suggestive but I will tell you now that I don't write smutty stories.

**Learning to Live Again**

**Ch. 3 - The kidnapper**

It was nearly an hour after they entered the Leaky Cauldron that Scarlet and George made their way up to Scarlet's room to retrieve her things. By this time, they had learned what Scarlet deemed to be a sufficient amount of information about each other, at least for now. They had also drunk what she deemed to be a sufficient amount of alcohol; an amount that left George feeling slightly foggy-headed. He was, therefore, feeling somewhat content as he followed Scarlet into the room she had stayed in the night before. This feeling wore off, however, when he saw the amount of luggage she had with her.

"Bloody hell!" he exclaimed glancing around the room, "How exactly do you expect to move all of this?"

"Oh, it'll be simple. I am a witch, after all," replied Scarlet. She pulled out her wand and gave it a flick and all of her things shrank down so that, when combined, they all fit into a muggle backpack.

As George watched Scarlet stuff everything into the pack, he gave an annoyed sigh, "If you could do that, then why did you need me to come?"

"I didn't. You needed to get out, though and I thought there was a better chance of that if you thought there was an actual reason for you to leave your place."

George grumbled to himself. He had met this girl less than an hour and a half ago and she had already proven to him that she could manipulate him to get what she wanted. He wasn't sure what that meant but he knew it couldn't be good. At the moment, however, he had no idea what to do about it.

"Well, let's get back now. I want to get a good look around that shop of yours and I still need time to organize all my stuff in your apartment," Scarlet's voice broke through George's grumblings.

George was ready to walk back at a leisurely pace but Scarlet had other plans. She linked elbows with him and started skipping like a child. He stared down at the tiny witch, finding it difficult to believe that she was the impressive healer who was supposed to help him. As she dragged him back through the door of his shop, George noticed that Hermione had arrived.

Hermione was, at the moment, interrogating her fiance, "What do you mean some American came in a dragged George off? As in kidnapping?"

"No," Ron groaned, "He wasn't kidnapped. It's just like I said, an American came in and dragged George out of here. She talked to Verity and I very briefly before she went over to George. She talked to him for a minute before grabbing his arm and pulling him out the door."

"Well, where are they now?"

"Right here," George and Scarlet answered in unison, stepping up behind the couple. A shadow fell before George's eyes. He hadn't spoken in unison with anyone since Fred's death. It immediately brought the pain he felt to the surface. Stepping away from the others, he mumbled, "I'm going back to the flat." He then ran up the stairs, through the main room to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

Moments later, he was sitting on his bed with his head in his hands when he heard a soft knock on his bedroom door. He didn't answer but the door opened anyway. Scarlet's head peered around the door, "Hey, are you okay?"

Not trusting his voice, George shook his head.

"Do you want to talk about it? It might help."

"It was when we spoke in unison," George told her before he even realized he was speaking, "Fred and I used to do it all the time . But, since he died..."

Scarlet nodded, "Ah, I understand. You've gotta realize, though, it's gonna happen sometimes. It'll get easier, I promise. It takes you by surprise the first time, doesn't it?"

George also nodded, "But it's been almost two years. Why is it still like this?"

"The bond between twins is one of the most complex relationships there is. Trust me, I've done my research on twins. Some of it is astonishing. Losing a twin is hardly something you can just shrug off," answered Scarlet.

George gave her a funny look, "What kind of research."

"The links between twins and magic," she began, "For example, twins born to families with at least one magical parent are always magical. And 99.999 of twins born to muggles are muggles themselves. But the most significant thing I've found is that there has never been a case where one twin was born magical and the other was a muggle. It has never happened. That's part of the power of being a twin."

"What got you studying twins in the first place?"

"Well, multiple births kinda run in my family, although there are some single birth kids. We have kind of tradition of giving themed names to the multiple birth kids, also. My mom was a triplet. She and her sisters were named April, May and June. In my generation, Mom had Ruby and I, Aunt May had Morgan and Caspian and Aurora and Dawn, and Aunt June had Summer and Autumn."

"So, you're a twin, too?" George asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah," stated Scarlet, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "That's part of the reason I was chosen for this assignment. That and I am incredibly intelligent." The last part was added with a smirk.

George felt the corner of his lips twitch in an attempt at a real smile.

"Is that the beginning of a smile I see?" teased Scarlet, "Does that mean you're feeling a little bit better? Do you think you feel up to escorting me back downstairs and introducing me to everyone?"

At this, George quirked an eyebrow at her, "I suppose I could do that. After what we heard downstairs, I can only imagine what they're speculating about you. Might as well go clear up the confusion."

With a smile, Scarlet reached out a hand to help him up from the bed. Instead of releasing his hand once he was on his feet, she tugged on it, fully prepared to pull him back to the shop if he didn't move fast enough for her liking. As she was about to give a second tug, she noticed a mischievous look in George's eyes. Before she realized what was happening, Scarlet felt herself being whipped around so that their positions were reversed. George was now literally dragging her by the arm to the stairs. When they reache the bottom, beforing going through the shop entrance, he glanced back at her over his shoulder, "If you think I'm going to let you control everything, Miss Jenkins, you have another thing coming to you."

"You call me Miss Jenkins again and YOU'LL have another thing coming to YOU. You are neither old enough or young enough to get away with calling me that."

George gave a snort and turned back to the shop. What he saw made him groan in displeasure, "Bloody hell, is anyone not coming to visit today? You'd think none of them had jobs of their own."

Peaking around his shoulder, Scarlet saw that the couple from earlier had been joined by three newcomers. The first was a young women with long red hair, who from the looks of it, was George's sister. The second was recognizable to Scarlet despite the fact that she had never met him; the famous Harry Potter. The third person, Scarlet was delighted to see, was someone she had met before. She shoved her way past George and ran towards this third person, shouting out to him, "Hey, Neville! Long time, no see. How've you been?"

Hermione gave a scandalized look, "You know the kidnapper?"

"Hermione! How many times do I need to explain? I didn't mean George was kidnapped," Ron sounded exasperated, not realizing Hermione was teasing.

"As much as I hate to admit it, he's right," said George as he joined the others, "We just went over to the Leaky Cauldron."

"And who is she?" Ginny asked George rather than Scarlet herself.

George, Neville and Scarlet all answered, "Scarlet Jenkins."

Scarlet's eyes immediately flew to George's face. She noticed the muscles along his jaw tense but all in all he was doing a good job of keeping himself together this time. She let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't really interested in spending the rest of the day chasing him up the stairs and coaxing him back down. She watched with interest as he gulped before turning to Neville and asking, "How do you know Scarlet, Neville?"

"She works at Holkeboer," Neville stated matter of factly.

"Yeah, I know that," George replied in a voice that he hoped would prompt a little more information from Neville.

Instead, Scarlet provided the explanation, "Neville's parents were transferred to Holkeboer late last year. I work with them sometimes. I've met Neville a couple of times when he's come to visit them."

At the mention of the hospital, Hermione's eyes snapped open wide, "Scarlet Jenkins? Of course, I've read about you. You're only the third witch in history to pass both the auror and healer training and exams."

"That's right," Scarlet then turned to Harry, "The second was your mother, did you know that?"

Harry shook his head and Scarlet gave a little laugh, "Yes, I had heard you didn't actually know much about your family. I know a little bit about them. And obviously I know who you are, Harry Potter. And I know Neville. However, I don't know the rest of you yet. I do believe it's time for some introductions."


	4. The Burrow

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, locations or events.

A/N: I'm back. Again, sorry for the delay in the update. It really is my goal to update once a week but I've been getting my ass kicked by life in general lately so please be patient and continue reading. I do have almost the entire story planned out (and it should really start progressing in chapter 5) so I will not just drop it. With that said, here's the next chapter.

**Learning to Live Again**

**Ch. 4 - The Burrow**

"Well, you've all been informed of my identity but besides Harry and Neville I don't really know who any of you are," Scarlet pointed out, turning toward Ron, Hermione and Ginny.

George ended up introducing everyone before they could speak up, "This is my brother, Ron. That's his fiancee, Hermione. And finally my sister, who also happens to be Harry's wife, Ginny."

Scarlet raised an eyebrow (George was starting to notice she did that a lot) and faced Ginny, "Married to the famous Harry Potter? Tell me that doesn't come with its own set of inconveniences."

Ginny laughed and nodded while the others gaped at the new member that had apparently entered their group of friends. They weren't used to coming across people who fully understood the hassles that could go along with Harry's fame. Those that did understand rarely spoke so bluntly about it. Noticing the looks she was receiving, Scarlet smirked, "Come on now. You didn't honestly think you were the only ones who have experienced first-hand how troublesome fame can be, did you?"

A wide smile appeared on Ginny's face and she laughed again, "I've never seen this group so speechless before. I'm impressed. I think you should come along to dinner at the Burrow tonight."

"Well, I'm glad to have met with your approval. As for dinner, if George is going, I pretty much have to. It's my job," Scarlet answered with a wink and another smirk, "Before that, though, I should really get my stuff put away upstairs."

"We'll help," Hermione told her, grabbing Ginny's arm, "Ron, you send your mother an owl informing her that there will be an extra guest tonight."

The girls went upstairs. Ginny glanced around the front room of the flat then peered into each of the other rooms, "So, where are all your things?"

"Oh, it's all in that bag over there," Scarlet pointed to her backpack, "I used a shrinking charm. I've got all my clothes, books, cosmetics and personal items, DVDs, and - yes - a DVD player and TV. I don't have a bed, though. I suppose I can transfigure a blanket or something, at least temporarily."

Ginny looked confused but Hermione's face took on a look of excitement, "So, are you a muggleborn, then? I had wondered, when I saw how you were dressed. I'm the only one in the group, although Harry was raised by muggles."

"No, I'm not a muggleborn," replied Scarlet, "but my father is. All my aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course grandparents on my dad's side are muggles. I grew up in both worlds. It's actually extremely beneficial when working as an auror. But enough about that, let's get to work."

The girls spent several hours arranging and rearranging Scarlet's belongings, taking time to do as Scarlet suggested and transfigure a blanket into her bed. Just as they were finishing that particular spell, the guys came upstairs to inform the girls that it was time to go to dinner. Since Scarlet had never been to the Burrow and could, therefore, not apparate there by herself, it was decided that they would all floo there from the Leaky Cauldron. The group of seven made their way to the tavern and took turns stepping into the fireplace to travel to the Weasleys' home. Scarlet was delighted by her first glimpse inside the Burrow. It was not the biggest or best kept place she had ever seen but she could recall ever seeing anywhere that had a more homey, welcoming feel to it.

She stepped over to the window and gasped, "Do you always have thestrals here?"

"They come and go," Ron informed her, "We used a couple when we were bring Harry here when You-Know-Who was after him. They seem to have decided they like it here. Wait, does that mean you can see them?'

Harry rolled his eyes at his best friend, "Who can't see thestrals these days?"

"Not to mention that, as a mediwitch and an auror, she works the two jobs in the wizarding world most likely to see death," added Hermione.

"Very well noted, Hermione," said Scarlet, "However, I could see thestrals before I started either of my careers."

Scarlet guessed from the looks on the others' faces that they were about to ask for more details when they were interrupted by an older, slightly plump woman bursting into the room. Her flaming red hair left little doubt in Scarlet's mind as to her identity. She watched in amusement as this woman, who was presumably Mrs.Weasley, went to each member of the younger generation, greeting them all with hugs, "Oh, hello dears. So good to see you all again. Ron, have you gotten taller? Hermione! Ginny! Harry! Neville! George."

Mrs. Weasley stopped in her tracks when she was directly in front of Scarlet, "And who might this be?"

Scarlet gave the older woman a large smile, already deciding that she liked her, "I'm Scarlet. Scarlet Jenkins."

"She's the healer that was sent from America. She's staying with me," George explained, noticing his mother's questioning look. Turning to Scarlet, he continued, "This is my mum."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh, there's no need for all that formality," replied Mrs. Weasley, pulling Scarlet into a hug as well, "We're always pleased to have new people over. So, welcome. Make yourself at home. Arthur, that's my husband, and the others should be along any minute."

Scarlet turned to George, "Others? Does she mean your other brothers?"

George nodded, "Two of them anyway. Charlie's in Romania. My sister-in-law will be here, too."

Ginny overheard this and made a face at the mention of her sister-in-law. This did not go unnoticed by Scarlet who asked her, "Are you not a big fan of your sister-in-law?"

"Oh, please," Ginny snorted, "She's bossy and patronizing. She's part Veela, you know? And if that weren't enough, she's pregnant, too."

"Yikes!"

Suddenly Ginny beamed, "Her name is Fleur but I like to call her Phlegm."

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," laughed Scarlet.

At this time, the rest of the Weasley family came traipsing into the room. There was another round of introductions before Mrs. Weasley herded everyone into the dining room to begin the meal. Scarlet found the meal very enjoyable. While her own family was far from being dysfunctional, there was something undeniably appealing about this Weasley family dinner. She happily answered all the quesitons posed to her.

"How old are you, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked, "You look very young."

"I'll be twenty two in May."

"Oh, George will be twenty two next month, on April first."

Scarlet nodded, "Yes, I remember reading that in my case file."

Now it was Mr. Weasley's turn, "What's your family like?"

"My dad's a muggleborn," began Scarlet, "He works for the U.S. branch of the ministry. He's a potions developer. My mom is a pureblood. She runs a potions supply store. I never really thought of it before but I guess they are very well suited to each other. They had four kids, my brothers, Michael and Christopher. Michael is older than me, Christopher's younger. And my sister, Ruby and I."

"Scarlet and Ruby are twins," George interjected.

"Yeah, twins and triplets are pretty common on my mom's side of the family."

"Does your whole family look like you?" asked Ron, receiving a smack on the head from Hermione.

Scarlet laughed, "Actually, no. Ruby and I were the only ones blessd with this unusual paleness. My dad has golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Mom and Christopher have black hair and steel gray eyes. Michael has mom's black hair and dad's blue eyes. None of my cousins really look like me either."

The rest of dinner went on in much the same manner. Scarlet found she agreed with Ginny that Fleur could be a bit hard to take at times. Also Percy was a little stiff and awkward at times. Other than that, though she found her company delightful and the food was delicious. It seemed to her that whenever she wasn't answering a question she was laughing a joke or funny story someone told. It was the most fun she had had in a long time. Between her two jobs, she didn't have a lot of free time to just relax and enjoy herself anymore. She was almost sad when dinner was over."

"Would you like to stay here tonight?" Mrs. Weasley asked George and Scarlet as the evening began to wind down.

Noticing the slightly panicked look that crossed George's face, Scarlet replied, "Thank you for the offer, Mrs. Weasley, but I really should get back and make sure I have everything settled in. I would love to come again sometime, though. I had a wonderful time."

George shot her a look of gratitude and Mrs. Weasley beamed in pleasure, "Of course. You're welcome here anytime. As a matter of fact, I was hoping to have a dinner here next week as well, in honor of George's birthday."

"I'll look forward to that, then," Scarlet told her.

"Well, good-bye then, dear."

Scarlet and George apparated back to the front room of his flat. Once there, away from the others, Scarlet asked George, "Are you okay with this birthday dinner your mother has planned? If not I can talk to her about it. I saw the look on her face when she suggested we stay over."

"It's okay," replied George with a shrug, "I mean, it's gonna be a little rough but it means a lot to Mum. I can deal with it."

Scarlet shrugged as well, "Okay, as long as you're sure. Let me know if you change your mind."

"Thanks, but I don't think I'll need to."


	5. April First

Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Harry Potter universe. I only own my original characters and this fanfic.

A/N: I did it! I managed to get a new chapter out in under a week! I know it's not a lot, but I'm really proud of myself for this.

**Learning to Live Again**

**Ch. 5 - April First**

On the morning of April 1st, George woke with a groan and threw his blanket over his face. He really wasn't ready to face the day yet. Slowly removing the blanket, he squinted into the room around him. The sun had filled his room with a bright, cheerful light. To George, it seemed as if it was mocking him. This day was no longer the exciting, fun-filled day it had been in the past. It was now a reminder of what had been lost. He groaned again and this time covered his face with his pillow, which was more effective at blocking out the light. Seconds later he felt a weight drop onto his bed and the pillow was ripped away from him. He found himself looking up at Scarlet, who was kneeling on the bed, staring down at him. When she saw that he was awake she started jumping up and down as she yelled, "Happy Birthday! Come on, sleepy head. It's time to start the day!"

"Ugh. How can you be so cheerful so early in the morning?" grumbled George. (A/N: It's supposed to be about 8:30)

"Well, I have to admit, I am a little bit excited about going back to the Burrow and seeing everyone again today."

"Oh, of course. You see Ron everyday in the shop. You've seen Hermione twice now and Harry three times. And Ginny, she's been here five of the six days since you've arrived. I get along with my sister but she's never come to visit me that often," George informed Scarlet. As he said this, he wiped the last of the sleep from his eyes and got his first good look at her that day. His eyes immediately went wide.

Scarlet gave him a questioning look, "What? Did my hair turn green or something?"

George shook his head, "No. It's your pajamas."

"What about them?" asked Scarlet, glancing down at said sleepwear. She was wearing crimson pajama pants and a crimson and gold striped shirt. Seeing nothing noticeably wrong with her attire she added, "I know you haven't seen me in my pajamas before but surely that's not what has you stunned."

"It's not that," said George, shaking his head again, "It's the first time I've seen you wear so much color. I've only ever seen you wear black and gray before. And to top it off, those were my house colors in school."

"Really?" Scarlet inquired, "They were mine, too."

"What are the odds?"

"Better than you might think, actually," explained Scarlet, "A lot of magical schools chose to divide into four houses because of the four elements. The house colors correspond with the elements and with personalities associated with the elements. Therefore, it's not unusual for witches and wizards to get along to have the same house colors even if they attended different schools."

George quirked his eyebrow in a fair impression of Scarlet, herself, before saying, "Well, I guess you learn something new everyday, don't you?"

Scarlet gave a laugh, "I'd be willing to bet Hermione does, anyway."

George let out a snort of amusement and Scarlet broke into a huge grin before telling him, "I think that's the first thing resembling a laugh that I've heard from you. I'd say that's a very good sign. Now, you get up and get ready. I'm going to make some pancakes for breakfast."

George watched the blonde girl twirl from the room before dropping his head with a sigh. He honestly had not yet figured out what to make of her. She was such a contradiction. She was obviously extremely intelligent but she was also incredibly fun-loving and daring. She worked at, not one, but two of the most serious, grown up jobs in the wizarding world and yet, at times, she was one of the most childish (or at least childlike) people that George had ever known. Most disturbing though was the contradiction in how he felt around her. While he found her to be generally good companyand often extremely entertaining, she was also slowing managing to get through the defenses he had built up after Fred's death. That made him uncomfortable. He would occasionally catch himself letting his guard down, as he had moments ago. This would then cause him to seal himself off even tighter. While he was becoming less and less sure that that was what he wanted, he had not yet learned how to change.

There was a knock on the door and Scarlet peered in, "Pancakes are ready! Look at you, you lazy bones! Have you moved at all since I left?"

George looked up at her. She was back in her customary black and gray. This time it was black capri pants and a dark gray t-shirt. He looked back down at himself, still clothed in his sleepwear, "Give me two minutes."

Scarlet smiled and nodded before spinning on her heel and heading back towards the kitchen. As George got up and walked over to shut the door, he thought to himself that Scarlet really was too cheerful for her own good. It then occurred to him to wonder if that's how people used to view him and Fred. He imagined it probably was. For now, though, he decided that he was thinking too much for his own good. He decided to focus on getting dressed and ready for the day.

When he emerged from his room, George saw Scarlet, who was sitting at the table, glance at her silver muggle watch before turning her gaze to him and stating, "That was two minutes and twenty seven seconds."

"Well excuse me," replied George sarcastically before he took his seat and began eating.

Nearly eight hours later, the pair stood outside the front door of the Burrows. Scarlet ran forward and began pounding on the door. Mrs. Weasley answered the door, "Come in, come in. Everyone else is inside. Please sit and chat while I get dinner started."

"Everyone else is already here?" Scarlet asked in dismay, "But I thought we were right on time."

"You are, dear. I had the others come early to help set everything up. After all, it's a very special day, isn't it."

"Right you are," answered Scarlet, although she couldn't help thinking it was a little strange that Mrs. Weasley seemed even more excited than she was.

George led Scarlet into the room they had arrived in on her first visit. There they found that everyone had indeed arrived already. Everyone from last time was there as well as George's brother, Charlie, Harry's godson, Teddy and another blonde girl who was introduced to Scarlet as Luna. Scarlet was a little surprised. Other than her sister, she had never met anyone who could even begin to rival her paleness before she took this assignment. Now she seemed to be meeting them in spades. Rather than voice that thought, she simply greeted everyone, "Hello, all! Nice big crowd here today, huh? Oh, Neville! I was hoping you'd be here. I meant to tell you that Eliza's gonna be in town soon."

"Who is Eliza?" asked Percy.

"She's one of my cousins and my co-worker at Holkeboer. That's how Neville knows her."

George watched Scarlet's easy conversation as he sat down on a sofa with Ron, Harry and Hermione. Ginny was sitting on the floor by Harry's feet, playing with Teddy. She looked up when George sat down and asked him, "So, is there anything going on between you and Scarlet that we should know about?"

"No," George stared blankly back at her, "Why?"

"Mum seems to think there is," replied Ron.

"Yeah, mate," Harry added, "She came in today with a huge bundle gray yarn."

George groaned, "I don't believe her."

The evening proceeded on in a upbeat manner. Dinner was, again, fabulous. Mrs. Weasley had taken extra care to make all of George's favorite foods. Everyone talked and laughed. Even George cracked a small smile once or twice. It was decided that cake would wait until after George had opened his gifts. Therefore, as soon as dinner was over, the girls, minus Fleur, went to help Mrs. Weasley clean up the kitchen. When they finished, they headed back to the living room to find Fleur asleep and the men engaged in conversation. Actually, Scarlet realized, it was all the men except one.

It seemed Ginny noticed this as well, since she asked, "Where's George?"

The men all looked around the room before shrugging sheepishly. Scarlet gave a frustrated sigh, "I'll go look for him. I think I know where he might be."

She started by checking upstairs. She knocked on the first couple of doors she came across, waiting to see if she could hear any indication of a person's presence. Near the end of one of the hallways she noticed a sliver of light peaking out from under a door. Hurrying over, she found the door was slightly ajar. Pushing it open far enough to look in, Scarlet found George sitting on one of two beds in the room. After making her way across the room, she sat down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. She remained silent for a minute before hesitantly asking, "Was this your room? Yours and Fred's?"

George nodded.

"We don't have to stay. I'm sure the others would understand."

"No, this means a lot to them. I wouldn't let them do anything last year. I just needed a few minutes away from all that. I can handle this. I made it through my birthday last year. This year it's a little better, but it's still rough."

Scarlet nodded, "I know."

"I hear that a lot," George snorted, almost angrily, "but nobody really knows what it feels like."

"You're wrong, George," Scarlet said calmly, "I do know. Next month I will be celebrating my fifth birthday without my twin. I didn't tell you before but Ruby died about a month after our seventeenth birthday."


	6. The Fire Witch

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all the characters and places in the Harry Potter universe belong to J.K. Rowling, not to me.

A/N: Hello everyone. Just wanted to let you know that this chapter is the first idea that popped into my head to inspire this story so I hope you all enjoy it. Also, as you could probably guess from the end of the last chapter, this one gets a bit dark.

**Learning to Live Again**

**Ch. 6 - The Fire Witch**

George's mouth dropped open as he stared at Scarlet. He blinked once, twice, three times before tilting his head to the side and giving her a disbelieving look. Finally he found his voice, "What?!"

"Ruby died when we were seventeen," Scarlet repeated, "June 15, 1995 to be exact."

The confused expression left George's face and he bacame somber, "How did she die?"

"Have you ever heard of Darva Bludd?" inquired Scarlet. When George shook his head she continued, "She's a dark witch in America. And my dark I mean that she's pure evil. She makes your average dark witch look like a fluffy kitten. Luckily, she was never overly intelligent or when might have rivalled Voldemort himself. Now I'm sure you remember, knowing Harry as you do, when the rumors started about Voldemort's return?"

George nodded, beginning to sense where this was leading.

"When the rumors started, the Death Eaters in America did not hesitate for one second to believe them. The sprung into action immediately. Darva Bludd became their sort of unofficial leader, under Voldemort. In a rare bit of supreme intelligence on her part, she came to the same conclusion as the man, or creature, she served. She realized that the places with the highest concentration of muggle borns and blood traitors were the wizarding schools. Therefore, on the last day of my sixth year, she led a large band of Death Eaters in an attack on my school. Nearly a hundred students were injured that day, 36 were tortured and 7 were killed."

"And your sister was one of the ones who was killed?" George asked, already knowing the answer.

Scarlet nodded, "Ruby was one. My muggle born boyfriend was another."

"Bloody hell!"

"You don't even know the whole story yet," Scarlet informed him, "My boyfriend, Jack, was killed by some nameless Death Eater who didn't survive the attack himself. He used the killing curse. That, while tragic, at least left me with the comfort of knowing that Jack didn't suffer. Ruby, though, was killed by Darva. Before I tell you the rest, there's one more thing about Darva Bludd that you should know. While she was never the most intelligent witch, she made up for it with her insatiable hunger for drama. Apparently, she decided at an early age that the killing curse lacked a certain flair. She preferred to burn her victims, earning her the nickname the Fire Witch. That day, I watched as the Fire Witch taunted me by showing me my sister's charred remains."

George let out a low whistle, "What did you do?"

"I had been tortured and somewhat burned by the Fire Witch, myself," here Scarlet lifted up the back of her shirt to reveal a mass of scar tissue, "I very nearly died as well. As it was, I spent close to three months as a patient at Holkeboer, being unconscious for most of the first one. There wasn't really a whole lot I could do. Or so I thought."

"What do you mean by that?"

Scarlet gave a small smirk, "Well, June 15, 1995 also happens to be the day that the Ministry began to take a special interest in me. It's not just anyone who is allowed to try for healer AND auror training. The Ministry is very accomodating to me because I apparently managed to defy anything they had ever seen and they want to know how I managed it."

Now George was intrigued, "What did you do?"

"After the aurors and professors fought through and won the battle, I was found unconscious in a hallway, surrounded by fifteen knocked-out Death Eaters. One of these Death Eaters later told the Ministry that right before I fell unconscious, Darva fled and then a burst of red light shot out from me, stunning all fifteen remaining Death Eaters at once."

"Well, I can honestly say I've never heard a story like that before,"stated George, "Even Harry hasn't done anything like that, as far as I know."

"Very few people have ever heard a story like that. My theory is that when Ruby died, she was somehow able to add her magical abilities to my own. That's why I spent so much time researching twins. Who knows, maybe you'll find out sometime that you also have more magic than you once did," Scarlet arched one eyebrow at George as she said this, "It's only ever shown itself to me when I've been badly injured, though."

George reached up to touch the place where his ear had once been, "My last real injury was before Fred's death."

"So you haven't had a chance to test my theory," confirmed Scarlet, "I hope you never have to. Not only do you have to be injured but that kind of power burst takes a lot out of you."

The corner of George's lips twitched at the phrase 'power burst' but a moment later he was furrowing his brow as he looked Scarlet straight in the eye, "If all that happened to you, how is it possible for you to be the way you are?"

Scarlet didn't even begin to pretend she didn't know what he meant, "Well, I was sent to Holkeboer, which has always taken a special interest in cases of emotional and mental trauma. I'm not saying it was easy. Learning to really live again was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I had my goals to work towards, though. It was while I was in the hospital that I decided to try for both the healer and auror training. To do that, I obviously had to finish my schooling; that became another goal. It also helped that I was part of the team that finally captured Darva on only my second mission as an auror. I have never felt more satisfied and more empty at the same time as I did when she was sentenced to Nemmerall. That's our version of Azkaban."

"That last bit doesn't really help me much," said George, after a minute of silence, "We don't actually know who, or what, was responsible for the explosion that killed Fred. For all I know, the person or creature responsible could already be dead. A lot of people on both sides lost their lives that night."

"I know," replied Scarlet, nodding, "And not just at Hogwarts. Did you know similar battles were taking place in several countries at the same time? Luckily, the Death Eaters in the other countries were immediately aware, by way of their tattoos, when their leader was killed. Speaking of which, that must have been something to watch."

Now it was George's turn to nod, "Especially since we had all thought that Harry was dead. When he popped out from under the inivisibility cloak in the middle of the room, it seemed that suddenly everyone realized we did have a chance of winning. I guess you didn't have a moment like that."

Scarlet cast her eyes downward, "No, we had no way of knowing our chances of winning until the Death Eaters began to flee. And for those of us who were students during the first attack..."

"It must have been awful to be right there fighting again," George finished for her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Well, yes and no," answered Scarlet with a small, wistful smile, " On the one hand, I was pretty much reliving one of the worst experiences of my life. On the other hand, I knew I couldn't lose my twin again. And I was better trained. And I suppose I should admit that I wasn't entirely afraid of being killed. There was part of me that thought that if I died, at least I would get to be with Ruby and Jack again. To be really honest, I might as well say that there was some small part of me that was hoping I would be killed."

By the end of this confession, tears were forming in Scarlet's eyes. George wasn't sure how to react. In that moment, she was so completely different from the girl he had come to know over the past week. Slowly, hesitantly, he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. Before he knew what was happening, he felt tears leaking from his own eyes, "I understand that feeling. There have been many times I've wished I died that night at Hogwarts, too."

They sat together on the bed, crying, for what seemed like hours but was, in actuality, less than five minutes. When her tears finally stopped, Scarlet pulled back and gave George a shaky smile, "Sorry about that. I haven't cried about what happened in over a year. I certainly didn't expect to today."

"Don't worry about it," George managed to return her smile with a very small one of his own, "It's only the second time I've cried since Fred's death. I never thought I'd say this but it actually felt good. But if you tell anyone I said that, believe me, I will make you pay for it."

Scarlet's smile grew, "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. Now, what do you say we get back to that party of yours? I'm sure all of the others are beginning to wonder what's taking so long."

"Oh, I'm sure some of them are forming ideas of their own."

"In that case, I really think we should head back and set them straight," said Scarlet with a hint of laughter in her voice.

"As you wish," replied George, hopping off the bed and offering Scarlet a hand up. Trying, unsuccessfully, to put on expressions of pure innocence, the two made their way back downstairs where all the party guests were awaiting their return with curiosity.


	7. Dream Magic

Disclaimer: I still own no part of the Harry Potter universe.

A/N: Hey guys, I'm finally back. I'm so sorry for the long delay but it shouldn't happen again. The boy is out of ICU and going home this week so we should be all set now. So here, finally, is chapter seven. I hope you enjoy it.

**Learning to Live Again**

**Ch. 7 - Dream Magic**

Ron was the first to notice Scarlet and George reentering the room. He gave them a sly grin, "You guys were sure gone for awhile. What were you up to?"

"Shut up, Ronald," hissed Hermione reprovingly as she elbowed him in the ribs, "It's not really any of your business now, is it?"

"Bloody hell, Hermione!" Ron replied, rubbing at his side, "I was just asking a question."

"Actually, Ron, I think you were implying something. Need I remind you that I am here to help your brother. I am being paid to help him heal, no more. Anything like what you're implying would essentially make me a prostitute, wouldn't it? Let me assure you, I am no such thing. I'm a healer and I can be a friend to all of you but if you're thinking anything beyond that, you better banish that thought immediately," Scarlet rebuked Ron, barely pausing to breathe.

In reaction to Scarlet's speech, the room went silent. Scarlet continued to glare at Ron, who had now turned bright red. She was joined in her glaring by Mrs. Weasley. Hermione sat next to her fiance, shaking her head. Harry, Bill, Charlie and Neville were all staring at Scarlet in surprise. Percy and Mr. Weasley looked somewhat bewildered. Fleur was smirking. George looked somewhere between offended and hurt. Ginny and Luna perhaps were the ones with the most interesting reactions. After meeting each other's gaze, they exchanged small grins as if they knew something the others did not. Realizing the no one else was going to help the situation, Ginny eventually cleared her throat and spoke up, "Well, anyway, now that George is back, I think it is time we all gave him our presents."

Ginny's comment snapped everyone back into action as they all nodded and moved to get their gifts. George sat down as the pile of gifts was stacked in front of him. When everyone else had returned to their seats, he reached for the first one. It was Harry's gift and it consisted of several muggle magic tricks that George had not seen yet. Ron gave him tickets to an upcoming Cannons match. Hermione got him a book titled, The Practical (Joke) Application of Charms. From his parents, he was not surprised to see, he received a new jumper. Charlie, Bill and Ginny all gave him new Quidditche gear. Neville gave him a thermofern for his flat, which was supposed to have temperature controlling properties. He was still not sure what his gift from Luna was, other than that it was supposed to help protect him from Darilises, whatever those were. He was surprised to find that there was even a package from Scarlet. It proved to be an assortment of magical candy. After opening her gift, he turned to Scarlet and asked, "When did you get this? You haven't been where I couldn't see you long enough to go to a candy shop since you got here, except late at night when the shops would be closed."

Scarlet gave a secretive smile in response, "Oh, I have my ways."

George, Harry, Ginny and Ron all looked intrigued. Ron went so far as to blurt out, "You've gotta teach me."

Scarlet laughed and the last of the tension in the room evaporated. The party didn't last much longer. Harry and Ginny had to take Teddy back to his grandmother, Fleur was tired and Mrs. Weasley was starting to fret about the cleaning. Everyone else took these as signs that the party was over and split up to head their separate ways.

When George and Scarlet arrived back at the flat, Scarlet looked George in the eye and told him, "You're really luck, you know that?"

"How's that?"

"Everyone that was there tonight, they all genuinely care about you," continued Scarlet, then, seeing his expression change, she added, "Yes, even Fleur. I'm not sure you understand just how important that is. So many of the grief cases we see at Holkeboer have no one left. It's a tragic thing to witness. If you don't believe me, ask Harry."

George opened his mouth to speak but Scarlet interrupted him, "I know Harry has a great support system now, but think about what it must have been like for him before he started at Hogwarts. His aunt and uncle certainly didn't seem to care for him. I don't know how he managed to turn out as normal as he did."

"I guess I see your point. But now, though, I'm gonna go to bed. I'm not going to sleep well tonight so I might as well at least try to get an early start," stated George, glancing at the clock that read ten o'clock.

"I can help with that."

George blinked, "Help with what?"

"I can help you sleep better," Scarlet clarified, "At least, if it's the dreams you're worried about."

George nodded, "I had horrible dreams last year. How are you going to help, though?"

Scarlet pulled out her wand, "Black palm. It's good for dream magic. I haven't used a dream spell in awhile but I imagine it's like riding a bicycle."

"Riding a what?" asked George.

"Never mind," giggled Scarlet, "It's a muggle invention and it's not really important right now."

"Bicycle? Is it like a motorbike? Their also called motorcycles."

Raising an eyebrow, Scarlet answered, "Yes, they're kind of similar. But again, that's not important right now. What is important is you letting me know whether or not you want me to try a dream spell."

"What would I dream about?"

"I don't know. I can't make specific dreams. I can only control the mood of the dream; the feelings it gives you. I'm thinking of trying for a comforting dream," explained Scarlet.

"Alright," George sighed, " I guess it's worth a try. What do I have to do?"

"Get ready for bed, get in bed, call me. I'll perform the spell and stay until you fall asleep."

George gave a quick bob of his head and disappeared into his room. It took him about ten minutes to get completely ready and hop into bed. When he had done so, he called out to Scarlet. She peered around the door before fully entering. She walked over to the bed and transfigured a robe that was crumpled up on the floor into a chair. She sat down, got her wand out again and pointed it towards George, quickly murmuring an incantation. When she finished, she flashed George a quick smile, "It'll probably take a few minutes for you to fall asleep. I'll stay here until you do."

"Can I talk to you until then?" asked George.

Scarlet pondered this for a moment, "I don't see why not."

"I have a question," George began, "but I'm not sure how you'll take it."

"Well, we won't find out until you ask it."

George took a deep breath, "Well, it's just, your wand is so unusual, I was just wondering what kind of wand your sister had."

Scarlet was taken aback by this question, "Um, it was beech wood, with a dragon's whisker for a core. The core of mine is crystalized phoenix tears, by the way. What about yours and Fred's?"

"Mine is maple with unicorn hair and Fred's was yew with unicorn hair. The unicorn hair core seems to run in the family," George informed her.

"Oh yeah? Who else in your family...?" Scarlet let her question trail off as she noticed George's eyelids slide shut and his breathing even out. She stood up and walked over to the door. Before leaving she glanced back at George and said, "Good night, George. Sleep well." Then she flicked her wand and the lights went out as she made her way through the door, closing it behind her.

In George's dream he was walking down the stairs from his flat to the shop. As he got towards the bottom, he noticed a strange glow coming from under the door. He cautiously pushed the door open to reveal the shop, empty with the exception of one figure. At first George wondered who had put a mirror in the middle of his shop. It took him a minute to realize that he was not looking at his reflection but at his twin brother. Fred looked exactly as he had the last time George had seen him alive. George felt a lump rise in his throat. He took a step forward and reached out a hand. Fred smiled but instead of reaching out to George, he spoke, "You are beginning to understand but the other needs time. Torn between heart and mind, duty and desire. When ripped apart, people come together. Danger will bring you what you wish for."

George took a step back, not longer sure it was Fred standing before him. The figure smiled once again and the strange light and a warm feeling flowed over George. The feeling would stay with him until he woke the next morning.


	8. Morning Post

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any part of the Harry Potter universe.

A/N: Hey guys. Sorry about the wait. I put a little bit of my self into Scarlet in the chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

**Learning to Live Again**

**Ch.8 - Morning Post**

When George awoke the next morning, he felt more refreshed than he had in a long time. He walked out of his bedroom to find Scarlet sitting at teh table, eating a bowl of cold cereal. He smirked at her, "What? No home-cooked breakfast this morning?"

"I wouldn't get used to the idea of me making home cooked meals if I were you," she replied.

"And why is that?"

"That is because, magic or no magic, the only things I can cook are pancakes and spaghetti," answered Scarlet in a very matter-of-fact tone.

George could barely contain his laughter, "Are you being serious? Even I can cook a little bit. You can handle complex healing and protectin and defensive spells, but you can't cook?"

Scarlet nodded, "I used to try. Ruby and I used to spend part of every summer at our muggle grandmother's house. She wanted nothing more than to teach us how to be master chefs. She would have us make exactly what she was making right next to her. My grandmother's and Ruby's meals always turned out looking good. Mine on the other hand...let's just say I couldn't always get the dog to eat them."

This time George wasn't able to contain his laughter. Taking this as encouragement, Scarlet continued, "It was even worse when I tried to learn how to cook using magic. I once attempted to make fried chicken using magic and the result was a dark purple blob that bared a greater resemblence to grape jelly and it smelled like, well, nothing pleasant."

"How did it taste?" inquired George.

"I don't know. I didn't have the guts to try it," Scarlet admitted, laughing at herself, "I have no idea how I messed it up that badly. To make matters worse, Ruby was always an excellent cook, with or without magic. She could have made a career out of it. What about you and Fred? Which of you was a better cook?"

George was slightly taken aback by the question but answered honestly, "I'm not sure. Neither of us were ever very good, but neither of us ever made purple chicken, either. If you're just looking for differences between us, however, I can tell you that Fred was more of the leader. He was more talkative and more social in general than I ever have been. Although, I am proud to say that I was the first person at Hogwarts to befriend Harry." (a/n: this is true in the books, not in the movies)

"Ah, of course," laughed Scarlet, "a moment of true brilliance. I'm willing to bet you had no idea at the time who he was."

She laughed even harder when George's face turned red. He shot her a quick glare and retorted, "Well, I found out just after."

"I was only teasing you," Scarlet wiped a tear from her eye, "I actually think it's more admirable that you befriended him without knowing who he was. Not many thirteen year olds would just befriend some random boy who was two years younger than themself."

"That would be mostly Ginny's doing, I think. She was Fred's and my favorite sibling, besides each other, and she's three years younger than us. Not to mention that neither Fred nor I were particularly mature at that point in our lives."

"Were there many other differences?"

"Between me and Fred? Not really. We were always more alike than we were different," George replied, "What about you and your sister?"

Scarlet smiled, "Ruby and I were definitely more different than we were alike. We both got good grades in school but the classes that she really excelled in were the ones that were more of a struggle for me. She was really good at herbology, care of magical creatures, and she was one of the few people I've ever known who had any talent for divination whatsoever. It always kinda made me wonder if she knew she was going to die that day."

Listening to the sadness enter Scarlet's voice, George tried to veer the conversation away from death, "What classes were you better at?"

"I was good at potions and charms. Coming from a family that was raised half muggle, Ruby and I both did well in muggle studies. We were also both decent at transfiguration. I was horrible at arithmancy and ancient runes. And, believe it or not, Ruby was slightly better than me at defense against the dark arts. I also always really liked astrology."

While the conversation continued, Gorge walked into the kitchen, still speaking to Scarlet over the counter. When he returned to the table, he was carrying two plates of scrambled eggs. He held one plate out in front of Scarlet with his eyes raised quizzically. She stared at the plate for a few moments before looking up at George. Noticing his expression, she rolled her eyes but accepted the plate. She muttered something under her breath that sounded like, "Show-off."

George's face broke into a large grin. He sat down across from her and happily dug into his pile of scrambled eggs. Scarlet hesitantly took a bite. They were actually pretty good, but there was no way she was going to give George the satisfaction of having her admit that out loud. She met his expectant gaze and shrugged, "Not bad. I've had worse."

"Gee, thanks for the hight praise," was George's sarcastic response.

Scarlet smirked, "You're welcome."

"You ought to keep in mind that I own and run a joke shop."

"Is that a threat?" asked Scarlet.

George gave her an evil grin, "And so what if it was?"

"Well, I was going to tell you, before this ridiculous conversation, that I thought you were making really good progress," she answered him, "but I guess I'll just have to tell my superiors at Holkeboer that that's just not the case."

"Wouldn't that just mean that you'd be here longer?" George asked, "If anyone was going to be inconvenienced by that, I would think it would be you. I wouldn't mind."

Scarlet felt a light blush spread across her face and considered rebuking him. Instead she said saucily, "Wouldn't you like that? I hate to break it to you, but if it seems like I'm not making any progress with you, they'll send someone else to replace me."

George choked on a mouthful of scrambled eggs. He was going to comment ont he prospect of someone else being sent as his healer but he was interrupted by the arrival of the post. An owl flew in, dropping identical envelopes in George's and Scarlet's laps. Scarlet ripped hers open excitedly, "Oh! A ball! The Ministry is holding a ball to celebrate the anniversary of Voldemort's defeat."

When she received no response, Scarlet looked over at George. His face had gone ghostly plae. Scarlet was about to voice her concern for him when she realized what the problem was. The anniversary of Voldemort's defeat was also the anniversary of Fred's death. She stood up and walked around the table to stand next to George. She placed a comforting hand on his arm and said, "I think it would be good for you to go. I know it'll be hard for you but look at what it says. The Ministry is inviting all Ministry members, those who played a major part in the fight and those who lost family members. That means all of your friends will be invited and there will be others there who lost family and will understand a little bit of what you're going through."

"But..."

"No buts," Scarlet interrupted, "I've decided that's it's part of your treatment. You're going to that ball."

George looked at her wearily, "Fine, but can we at least go together, then?"

"What, like a date? Weren't you listening to what I told the others last night? Nothing can happen between us while I'm working on your case."

A smirk found it's way onto George's face, "Even if you want it to?"

When Scarlet didn't answer, he continued, "Relax, I didn't mean it like a date, anyway. I just meant that if we're both going to go, and we're both going to be leaving from here, it would make sense for us to go together."

Scarlet smothered the smile she felt forming on her lips. She didn't believe for a second that George meant on word of what he had just said. She shrugged her shoulders at him, "I'll think about it. For now, though, I need to send a message to the other girls to see when they want to go shopping."

"Shopping for what?" George asked.

"For dress robes, silly," answered Scarlet.

George rolled his eyes, "But the ball is still 26 days away."

"Which means it's the perfect time to get started."

"If you say so."


	9. A Less Than Perfect DAy

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any part of the Harry Potter universe.

A/N: I am so, so sorry about the long wait, guys. I've been really sick for like, the last two months. But I want everyone to know that I have absolutely no intention of abandoning the story. I have the end of it all planned out already. Also, I'm thinking about writing a side story about Neville and Eliza but I'm not sure yet. Anyway, here is chapter nine. There's a blink and you'll miss it bit of coarse language in this one.

**Learning to Live Again**

**Ch. 9 - A Less Than Perfect Day**

As it turned out, the girls didn't have a chance to all get together to go shopping until two days before the ball was to take place. This put Scarlet in an irritable mood as she got ready that morning, "I can't believe this is the first day we could go. I bet all the best outfits are already gone."

Watching her stomp uncharacteristically through his flat, George laughed, "It works for me, though. It's a great day to go out with the guys. Today's Quidditch match is ..."

"The most talked about match of the season, I know," Scarlet replied bitterly, "That just makes it an even worse day to be shopping. In case you forgot, I happed to be a Quidditch fan, as well. And so is your sister."

"At least you were here on the twentieth."

"Like anyone would have gone shopping that day," answered Scarlet, rolling her eyes. The twentieth was the actual anniversary of the day that the ball was going to celebrate, "I'm not sure there were even any stores open. I have to say, though, I think you handled yourself very well that day. I don't think you're going to need me around here much longer. I'm not sure you still need me to be here now, actually."

She was somewhat surprised when a scowl appeared on George's face, "Oh, so, just like that, I'm cured, eh?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it. You'll still being seeing someone at St. Mungo's. You just don't need someone around full time anymore," Scarlet replied, bewildered.

George's scowl grew, "So, you're just gonna take off, then?"

Scarlet could feel anger beginning to make itself apparent on her face, "Hey, you listen to me, mister. I am here until I get orders saying otherwise. I will not leave before then and I will not stay past then."

George whirled around and disappeared, presumably to The Burrow to meet up with the other guys. Scarlet stood, glaring at the spot where he had been standing. After a few seconds, she let out a huff and stomped downstairs to meet the other girls in front of the shop.

The time away from each other proved to be calming. As soon as the Quidditch match began, George lost himself in the thrill of the game and Ron's complaints about the upcoming ball, "I mean, really, wasn't it bad enough that we had to attend a ball at Hogwarts? Why do we have to do it again as adults?"

"Look on the bright side, Ron," chuckled Harry, "at least this time none of us has to worry about who we're going with."

"That's true, even Neville found someone other than Ginny to go with him."

"Hey!" Neville shouted in protest to the insult.

"Who are you going with, Neville?" asked George.

The tips of Neville's ears turned red as he replied, "Eliza."

"Eliza?" questioned George, "Who's that?"

Ron rolled his eyes at his older brother, "You obviously weren't paying much attention, were you?"

The other's laughed and Neville explained, "Eliza Halsing. She's Scarlet's cousin. She's in town for some kind of special training course at St. Mungo's. "

"We met her the other day," Ron added, "Don't know what a girl like that sees in Neville, though."

"Hey!" repeated Neville.

Ron ignored Neville, "Doesn't look much like her cousin though. She's got dark hair and eyes."

"You guys!" hissed Harry, "Stop talking and pay attention to the match."

Meanwhile, Scarlet was actually beginning to enjoy herself with the girls. As excited as she had initially been, she was not normally the type who enjoyed shopping with other females. She felt that, in general, they spent way to much time in any store they entered (A/N: Don't hate me, I feel that way about just about everyone, not just other females. My dad is one of the worst.) She was the type who liked to walk in, buy what she needed, and leave. But today, the excitement of others was contagious and she found herself looking forward to seeing what everyone would pick out and joining in the conversation when she could.

"So, I guess this time my brother did manage to ask you first," Ginny said to Hermione.

"No," Hermione laughed, "He still didn't actaully ask me. It was just kind of a given that we would go together."

"You should have made him ask you. You told him before that he should the next time."

Scarlet interrupted thiem, "What's the story behind this?"

Ginny and Hermione glanced at each other with raised eyebrows. After a moment, Ginny nodded and Hermione began to explain, "When we were in our fourth year, Hogwarts hosted the Triwizard Tournament. Because of this, a Yule Ball was held. By the time Ron got around to asking me, I already had a date."

"Yeah, Viktor Krum," Ginny interjected.

"Really?" asked Scarlet, somewhat impressed.

Hermione nodded, "Anyway, Ron tried his hardest to ruin the evening. He spent a lot of time speaking badly about Viktor, who, up until then, had been one of his heroes. So, at the end of the evening, I yelled at him that the solution would be for him to ask me before anyone else did next time."

"Oh-ho," teased Scarlet, "So, you've had a crush on him since your fourth year?"

"Don't be ridiculous," snapped Hermione. Then she added, slightly mumbled, "I've fancied him since first year."

The other girls started laughing and teasing her. Getting a bit annoyed, Hermione turned to Ginny, "You're one to talk. How old were you when you started to fancy Harry? All of ten years old?"

"True," Ginny admitted, "but I didn't try to hide it. At least not until he started dating Cho."

The rest of the afternoon was similarly filled with memories, teasing and gossip. By the time all the girls found their dresses, Scarlet was shocked to find that it was nearly five o'clock. Waving good-bye to the others, she made her way back to George's apartment. When she opened the door at the top of the stairs, the first thing she noticed was that George was not home yet. The second thing she noticed was the unfamiliar owl perched on the back of one of the dining room chairs. Walking over to the owl, she saw that the message in carried was addressed to her. She took the envelope and opened it with a feeling of trepidation. She scanned the contents of the letter before letting out a muttered curse, "Ah, shit. This is not what I needed right now."

Two hours later, when George finally arrived home, he didn't even notice that most of his flat was still dark. He made his way towards the one room that was lit, "Scarlet? Are you here? You missed a brilliant match! It was..." He trailed off as he entered Scarlet's room to find here surrounded by all the luggage she had brought with her, "What is all this?"

"I'm leaving," she replied, "first thing in the morning."

"What happened to staying until you got orders to leave?" George almost growled.

"The orders came," whispered Scarlet, "There was a threat delivered about plans to attack the ball. The ball is being cancelled. It'll be formally announced in The Prophet tomorrow. I'm being sent to track down the dark witches and wizards behind the plot."

George seemed to be fighting some internal battle. When he apparently gained control, he turned to her and, in a strangely calm voice, said, "So, let me get this straight. There's enough of a threat to cancel a Ministry function but you're still going to go out looking for the ones responsible?"

"George, it's my job."

"So is this," George's temper flared again.

"And hasn't that caused it's own set of problems?" asked Scarlet quietly.

George's mouth dropped open but no sound came out. When he finally did speak, his voice was once again calm, "You're right. Will I see you again? After your mission?"

Scarlet shook her head, "I don't know."

"So, this might be good-bye?"

When Scarlet nodded, George continued, "Then I just have one request. Can I see you in the the dress you bought for the ball?"

He was rewarded witha small, sad smile from Scarlet as she picked up a bag and headed toward the bathroom to change. When she returned, George simply stared at her. She had found a gown that matched her unusual eyes. Her hair was styled up, as she would have worn it to the ball, a few stray curls falling around her face. She looked ethereal, otherworldly. When he found his voice, he told her, "You look beautiful."

The smile he received this time was larger and more genuine. She spun around once and was about to return to the bathroom to change back when she heard George ask, "What's that?"

Turning to see what he was pointing at, she answered, "That's a wig. It's part of a muggle costume or disguise. I discovered the hard way that magical disguises are not always the best way to hide from dark witches and wizards. They expect it. They don't expect muggle disguises, believing, as they do, that muggles are inferior."

"That makes sense," George told her before changing the subject, "What time are you leaving in the morning?"

"Very early. I don't want you to get up and see me off. This like that always make it more difficult, going into a mission."

George nodded, "Okay, but promise me one thing."

"What?" asked Scarlet.

"Be careful."

Scarlet raised her eyes to meet George's, "I alwyas try to be."


	10. No News Is Good News?

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter universe.

A/N: I'm back. Once again sorry for the delay, this time I have nothing to blame but myself. Also, just as a head's up, I may not be able to update again this month. I will try but I am busy getting ready for Sakura Con. If anyone is going, I would love to hear from you. Now, on with the chapter.

**Learning to Live Again**

**Ch. 10 - No News is Good News?**

George was pacing the length of his flat, as he had taken to doing every morning since Scarlet had left. It had been two and a half weeks since he had last seen her. It was now the sixteenth of May. As each day passed, he found himself wishing more fervently that she was, in fact, still on her mission because he couldn't stand the thought of the other two options. If she wasn't still working, then she either truly didn't want to talk to him again or something had gone wrong and she was in trouble. The only day that he had not wished this had been on May 7th, Scarlet's birthday. That day he had wished that she was safe at home.

Part of him wanted to stay there, pacing, until he knew something. But, as he had every other day, he reminded himself that he still had a business to run and that he had to get downstairs in order to do so. By the time he got to the shop, Ron was already there, almost ready to open. Smirking as George made his entrance, the younger redhead said, "Blimey, George! I think you broke your own record today!"

George scowled in reply, "Bugger off!"

"Bite my head off, why don't you?" returned Ron, "I know you're worried but Scarlet's a big girl and one bloody brilliant witch. Besides, it's not like it's her first mission. I'm sure she knows what she's doing."

"That's easy for you to say. How would you feel if it were Hermione in Scarlet's position."

Ron didn't answer but he visibly paled. The thought brought back memories of listening to Hermione scream as the Cruciatus Curse was used on her. It began to put things into perspective for him what George was going through. He tried to cover up the pain the memory brought up in order to comfort his brother, "At least if you haven't heard anything, there's still some hope that everything's fine, right?"

George snorted, "When did you become such an optimist?"

"I'm not really trying to be optimistict," shrugged Ron, "just honest."

"And a bit logical. That would be Hermione rubbing off on you, eh?" George couldn't entirely keep himself from smiling as he watched his younger brother blush and begin to squirm. Then he leaned forward and ruffled Ron's hair, "Thanks, though. I guess ickle Ronnikins grew up a bit, didn't he?"

The rest of the day progressed much as normal. The shop was busier than it had been recently. People were startig to get over the scare that had been generated by the cancellation of the ball and were starting to get back to their normal lives. The customers kept George busy enough that, for a few hours of the day, he didn't have time to worry about Scarlet or her mission. That changed when Ginny stopped by in the late afternoon.

"George," she started, sounding out of breath, " Have you seen today's Daily Prophet?"

George shook his head, "I never read the news before work. It would hardly put me in the right frame of mind for the joke shop. Even when it's not completely depressing, it's still too serious."

"Well, I think you had better go look at it now. If Ron and Verity aren't enough to cover the workload, then I'll help out until closing."

"Until closing?" inquired George.

Ginny nodded, "I think you'll need it."

"Okay," answered George with some hesitation, "If I'm not back in ten minutes, try to close the shop ask early as you can tonight."

"Right. I'll also send word to the others to come over when they get off work. I have a feeling you're going to want some company tonight," Ginny then shooed her brother away.

With a single, brief nod, George turned and flew up the stairs to his flat at record pace. He shut the door behind him and proceeded to make his way, much more slowly now, toward the table, where that day's copy of The Daily Prophet sat. He reached cautiously for the newspaper, as if afraid it would burst into flames the instant he touched it. Slowly, he picked it up and scanned the first two and a half pages before finding the article he was sure Ginny was talking about, halfway down the third page. When George read the headline, he wished the paper HAD burst into flames.

The headline read: Routine Operation Turns Deadly For Team Of Aurors.

George leaned against the wall and slid to the floor before he continued reading. The article went on to describe how a team of four Aurors had been sent out to track down a group of suspected dark witches and wizards. The team of Aurors had been attacked, leaving one Auror dead, two in the hospital, and the fourth one missing. Adding to George's rising panic level was the fact that the article did not mention any names. He had no way of knowing whether or not the team that had been attacked was the one that Scarlet had been apart of, much less how she fared if it had been her team. As all the different possibilities started to swarm through his head, George stood up and began to pace. He had no idea how long he had been pacing when a knock on the door startled him so badly that he nearly jumped out of his skin.

Racing over to the door, Goerge threw it open to reveal a group of his closest mates and siblings. Harry was the first to speak, saying, "We thought you could use a little company this evening."

It took George a moment to comprehend what had been said. Once it sunk in, he nodded, "Ginny mentioned she had invited everyone over."

"How are you doing?" asked Hermione.

"It's frustrating," George answered, "I don't really know anything. I don't even know if I should be worried or not, since they haven't mentioned who any of the Aurors involved were."

The others nodded. They had all experience the feelings that went along with not knowing the fate of someone they cared about. They knew waht it was like to worry about losing a loved one better than anyone their age should have to.

The group stayed until rather late in the evening, trying their best to distract George from his worries, but, in the end, they each had to return to their own homes. When the last of his mates had left, George headed to his bedroom and collapsed on the bed. He highly doubted he would get any sleep that night but he figured he might as well be comfortable. Even this task proved more difficult that George would have expected. He tossed and turned and fidgeted. He got up and paced the room, then returned to his bed. He sat down on the edge, tapping his foot for nearly five minutes before falling back onto the bed.

Just seconds after his head hit the bed, he heard a loud "CRACK" outside and then a pounding on the shop door downstairs. Instantly he leapt to his feet and flew down the stairs. He raced acrossed the shop at a speed that he thought must have been faster than he had ever moved before. When he reached the door, without a second of hesitation, he tore it open.

What he saw shocked him. There, on the doorstep, looking far from her best, was Scarlet. She was propped up against the doorframe, looking exhausted. Her face and arms were a map of small cuts and bruises. She managed to flash George a weak smile before he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in the shop and to him. He sank to the ground, pulling Scarlet with him. He pushed her hair back from her face and murmuredto her, "I can't believe you're here. After the article in The Daily Prophet, I didn't know if... You have know idea how worried I was. I'm so glad you're okay. You are okay, aren't you?"

Scarlet nodded, "I'm okay. Only minor injuries. I was luck in that regard. However..."

"However what?" George prompted.

"Oh, George!" cried Scarlet, resting her forehead on his shoulder, "I'm in trouble, and now I fear I have placed you in danger, as well."


	11. She's Back

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter universe.

A/N: I am so, so sorry for the really long delay. My laptop got a virus before I left on my summer vacation, so I didn't take it with me and when I got back the screen was cracked. I don't actually have a working computer right now so I can only write when I can use another computer. It's driving me insane.

**Learning to Live Again**

**Ch. 11 - She's Back**

George didn't pause to think about his reaction as he blurted out, "What do you mean? What happened? How could you have put me in danger?"

"She's back," was Scarlet's enigmatic answer.

"Who's back?"

"The Fire Witch," Scarlet shuddered, "Darva Bludd. She was one of the witches we were tracking, but I didn't know that until it was too late. When they attacked us, she saw me. She wants me dead more than any other witch or wizard I've helped put away. I couldn't go back to any place she knows I have a connection to. I didn't know where else to go, so I came here. I'm afraid that in doing so, I've put you at risk. If Darva finds out I'm here, she won't hesitate to kill you in order to get to me. I'm sorry for putting you in this position."

"Don't be sorry," George responded, "I'm glad you think I'm someone you can turn to. It helps me fee like I'm paying you back a little bit. Besides, if anything happens now, we'll be together, and two wands are better than one."

At George's last sentence, Scarlet was finally able to crack a small smile, "Okay, but you have to understand, I'm still going to feel badly about putting you in danger."

George gave a short laugh, "I've been in danger before. I'm friends with Harry Potter, remember? Don't worry about that right now. Go upstairs, get cleaned up. You can borrow some of my clothes for tonight. Once you're all rested up, and by that I mean no earlier than lunchtime tomorrow, we'll go to The Burrow and see if my parents have any ideas that might help us out."

"What could possibly help in this situation?"

"I don't know," George answered honestly, "but even if we can't think of anything on our own, my parents know people who can help us figure it out. They were some of the original members of the Order of the Phoenix, they know things that we don't."

Scarlet took a deep breath, suddenly realizing how exhausted she was, "Okay. Tomorrow we'll go talk to your parents. Hopefully, they can think of something because, frankly, right now I am out of good ideas."

"Alright. Now do as I told you and go get cleaned up and go to bed," George mock-commanded.

In reply, Scarlet smirked and gave him a quick hug before pulling away from him and standing up to follow his orders. George followed her with his eyes until she made it to the stairs and the door closed behind her. Once she was out of sight, he let his head fall back against the wall and he closed his eyes with a sigh. A month and a half ago, he had been struggling to get his life back together. Now, just when he had been starting to want to fully live again, everything was being threatened once again. He knew there had to be a way to get through this. He had the proof of that in one of his closest friends. Harry had faced down the most powerful dark wizard in history more times than George could keep track of and he was still alive to tell the tale. Therefore, George knew it would be possible for this situation to end well, he just didn't know how that was going to happen.

He sat that way for what seemed like hours, but in reality couldn't have been more than five minutes, then, with a resigned sigh, he pushed himself up off the floor and slowly headed back upstairs. He knew his chances of getting any sleep that night were slim, but if he was going to spend a sleepless night in thought, he would rather do so in the comfort of his bed than propped against the door of his shop.

--

The day broke bright and sunny the next morning, showing no signs of the turmoil that was going on within the flat in Diagon Alley. George woke with a start, amazed to find that he had actually fallen asleep. He hadn't slept for more than a few hours and he knew that this day was going to sap his already depleted energy. Nevertheless, he dragged himself out of bed and made his way into the kitchen. He was surprised to find Scarlet already awake. The sight of her in his clothing was so comical that he almost laughed out loud. As it was, he couldn't surpress the snort of amusement that escaped him.

Scarlet turned at the sound, her eyebrows raised, "Is there something amusing?"

Her question was the last straw. George burst out laughing, "I think those clothes are about twelve sizes too big for you. You're absolutely swimming in them.

Scarlet glanced down at herself and the corners of her lips turned up as well, "Do you think we could stop at Madam Malkin's before we go visit your parents?"

George only laughed harder. Unable to form an answer, he merely nodded his head.

"I'm glad to be so entertaining," said Scarlet, "I suppose if you can't stop laughing though, that just leaves more breakfast for me."

At that, George went abruptly silent and moved to dish up his breakfast.

Four and a half hours and one stop at Madam Malkin's later, George and Scarlet arrived at The Burrow and were greeted enthusiastically by Mr and Mrs Weasley.

"Oh, this is a surprise!" exclaimed Mrs Weasley pulling Scarlet into a quick hug, "It's so good to see you back safe and sound, dear."

"Thank you, Mrs Weasley, but I'm afraid that's not exactly the case," Scarlet informed the older woman.

"Whatever do you mean?"

George glanced between his parents and Scarlet before answering the question, "She's back, but she's not exactly safe at the moment. That's why we're here."

"You see," continued Scarlet, taking over the story, "while I was away, I ran into a dark witch who would like nothing more than to see me dead. She already killed my sister and then I helped lock her up. But now she's escaped and she's seen me. I wouldn't come here, for fear that she will track me down and find you as well, but I didn't know where else to turn."

"Don't worry, dear," Mrs Weasley comforted, "I'm sure we'll come up with something."

"Actually, I think I may have an idea already" Mr Weasely spoke for the first time, "I just need to contact McGonagall, first. I think she can help us better than anyone."

George raised a questioning eyebrow, "How's that?"

Mr Weasley smiled at his son, "Where is the safest place in the wizarding world?"

George nodded, catching on, "Hogwarts. Of course."


End file.
